The Truth
by Iconic Superheroes
Summary: This is a little something I wanted to write based on a teaser for tomorrow's episode. Some of the dialogue is from that clip. The premise: What will it take for Chloe to stop having trouble with the "immortality thing?" Rated for language. When I see something I can't explain, yeah, I look for answers.
1. Chapter 1

Lucifer sat at the piano in his bar, playing a gentle tune. The music gave him a sense of balance while his world changed around him. Delilah's death, meeting Chloe, _caring_. It was a strange new development for a creature who hadn't changed in millennia. He was also, in that particular moment, waiting for Chloe to approach him from her rather obvious spot against the wall. People thinking they could sneak up on him, honestly.

She finally stomped from her place against the wall and made her way around to the front of the piano, facing him as he played. He shot her a winning smile. "Hello, detective. How's your undercover surveillance of my activities gone so far?" As expected, she wasn't amused by him at all. He knew by now that she didn't react to him the same way as other women and men, but it still raised his hackles.

Chloe wasted no time with pleasantries, cutting right to the chase. "I've looked into you. Your name really is Lucifer Morningstar. And as far I can tell, you didn't exist five years ago," she said, no warmth in her voice at all. Lucifer was at least a little surprised at the cold retort based on her apparent warming-up at the hospital. He hated not being able to read her.

Nevertheless, he couldn't be anything but himself. He never lied to her yet, and he wasn't going to start now. "On the earthly plane, no." Lucifer kept smirking despite her attitude.

"People don't appear out of thin air. Who were you? How did you survive getting shot six times by Jimmy Barnes?" she asked. Lucifer didn't like how this suddenly felt like an interrogation, especially since he had made a point to tell her the God's honest truth. _As honest as God could ever be, anyway_ , he thought, amused at himself. He decided to point out her sudden drop in temperature. "Is that your normal reaction to someone saving your life? Investigating them?" She shot him a look, still not amused at his ever flippant attitude. "When I see something I can't explain, yeah, I look for answers," she replied.

Lucifer sighed and his grin became a touch more condescending. "Listen, darling, I've told you-" Time slowed down as all of the bar's patrons seemed to freeze. "Bloody hell. Can't you leave me be?" he grumbled, spinning on the piano bench to face his intruder. "Amenadiel, I would say it's lovely to see you, but we both know that would be a lie."

Amenadiel stood fifteen paces away, permanent glare etched onto his face. Lucifer picked up his scotch and took a sip, waiting for the angel to start yelling. He stalked forward, stopping only a breath away from Lucifer. "Enough of this. You've had your fun, played your games. Go home."

Lucifer raised a brow. "Home?" he snorted. "I would _love_ to go home, brother. Please let me know when Father is ready to open the door." He grinned, hoping this would piss off Amenadiel as much as he thought it would. Amenadiel growled at him. He actually _growled_. Lucifer couldn't have asked for a better reaction.

"As if our Father would ever let you return to Heaven," he spat. "No, Lucifer. You must return to Hell and do your job. You have been allowed to play long enough."

Lucifer signed dramatically. "Again, I'll have to decline. Nice chat, brother. See you next time." He raised his glass in a salute, hoping to piss off the angel just that little bit more. It worked.

"You are despicable," Amenadiel said, voice low and eyes burning with rage. "Soon I won't be the only one sent to make you obey." With that threat, the angel disappeared and time continued at normal speed. Lucifer rolled his eyes at the dramatics.

"What the hell just happened?" Chloe asked from behind him, voice high and anxious. Lucifer spun back around to face her, grin in place as he took in the mix of confusion, shock, and a smidge of fear apparent on her face. He took another sip, letting her stew in the mystery for a moment. "My dear brother once again tried to convince me to return to my responsibilities. I declined, of course." His answer, despite being truthful, was not helpful in the least.

Sweat appeared on Chloe's brow, and she nervously readjusted the strap on her sling. "That's not what I meant," she snapped. "We were talking and suddenly you were facing the opposite direction, with a drink in your hand. I didn't even see you move!" She moved her good arm to rest on her hip, confusion forgotten as she returned to anger and accusation. Lucifer was too surprised to snap back. Humans did not notice the time warps that happened when his brothers appeared on Earth. They rationalized anything strange they saw, if they noticed at all. Chloe was turning out to be interesting indeed. He recovered quickly. "As I said, my brother came to visit."

She glared at him some more, as if that was the key to all her answers. "Something strange is going on here, Lucifer, and I'm going to find out what."

He stared. "Darling Chloe, I've told you. You're really having a hard time with this immortal business." Lucifer really didn't understand why people thought he was joking. He never lied or made pretenses about his nature.

She huffed at him, brows raised in clear disbelief. "So you really expect me to believe that you're the devil."

"Well, yes. I've never said otherwise. You think I'm lying?" He was intrigued by this woman. He had told her he was immortal, had shown his abilities with the psychiatrist, and even been shot in front of her, yet she refused to admit the truth.

"Of course I think you're lying. Satan, hell, it's not real!" she shouted, drawing a few eyes towards them. Lucifer sighed, realizing she wasn't going to let this go. "Fine, we can discuss this outside. You're beginning to frighten the customers."

He stood from the bench and led her to the door. She followed silently, still fuming. By the time she got out the door Lucifer had already lit a cigarette. Chloe waved a hand through the smoke and shot him a glare. "Did you drug me or something? I must have lost time," she accused.

Lucifer shot her a wounded look, putting his hand over his heart. "You're very quick to accuse me of drugging women. Trust me, substances are not necessary." Chloe huffed and turned to face the street. "I just don't get you, Lucifer," she admitted. He grinned. "And that drives you absolutely bonkers, doesn't it?"

She grudgingly nodded. "What I hate the most is that I _want_ to figure you out." She turned back around to face him, surprised to see a searching look rather than the usual smirk on his face.

"Chloe," he started, reaching out for her shoulder. "I'm really not that mysterious, I've told you-"

A shout from the group waiting to get in the club interrupted his appeal. "Let me in, bro!"

The pair turned to see a man at the front of the line pushing at Lux's bouncer. The scrawny man gave a last push before he switched back to yelling. "What's your problem, let me in!" The bouncer shook his head. "Please vacate the premises," he said. The little man was now furious. "You little shit!" He lunged for the bouncer again but Lucifer was now there. "Whoa, hey there," he said, putting a hand out towards the man. "I believe he told you to go."

"Who the fuck do you think you are, English?" the guy sneered, giving Lucifer a once-over and apparently finding him lacking. His mistake.

Lucifer's friendly grin became much more menacing. "Why, I'm Lucifer, and this is my nightclub. You can kindly fuck off before I get angry."

The man paled, finally registering the danger that radiated off of Lucifer. People could usually sense _something_ about him – his otherworldliness, his danger, or his allure. This guy was finally clued in, but some primal part of him couldn't back down. "So let me in then, bigshot!" he snarled, taking a step forward into Lucifer's face. Lucifer's face blanked, and Chloe felt a chill run down her spine. "Now, gentlemen, let's not get carried away," she said, stepping forward as she pulled out her badge. "Sir, he is allowed to choose who he does business with. I suggest you leave."

The man turned his attention on her now. "Ooh, big girl cop, I'm so scared!" Chloe was about ready to pull out her cuffs and arrest him for being a pain in the ass when Lucifer grabbed the guy's shoulder and spun him around. "You do not talk to her like that. You will deal with me." His voice was deadly calm and yet full of rage. Chloe would swear that she saw his eyes flash red for a second. Once again, the guy's common sense almost won, but instead he pulled out a previously unnoticed knife and, before anyone could blink, stabbed Lucifer in the side. The bouncer pulled his boss away from the assailant while Chloe slapped the cuffs on and radioed for a cruiser to come pick him up. "We also need a bus, someone was stabbed-"

Lucifer was standing off to the side, arms crossed and looking mightily pissed. But he wasn't bleeding; not a scratch on him. "Uh, cancel that. Thanks." She switched off the radio and slowly made her way over to him. "How?"

He gave her a look, clearly done with this night and their game. "I've told you, detective."

"Right, immortal. Lift up your shirt." She was reaching for his waist before he could register her demand, untucking his button-down and looking for the stab wound. His skin was, of course, unmarked.

"Wha….that's not possible!" She stared a moment longer, then met his eyes with her own. He stared back, more than a little annoyed with her continued refusal to believe. This time, though, she looked frightened. He grabbed her shoulders, looking at her earnestly. "Chloe, my name is Lucifer Morningstar. You said yourself that is my real name. You have seen me shot and stabbed, and apparently manipulate time. Why won't you see what is right in front of you?"

Everything seemed to pause, but this time an angry angel was not to blame. Chloe was frozen, unable to think or move. Finally, she took in a large gasp of air.

"Oh my god." She wrenched herself out of Lucifer's grasp, never taking her eyes off of him. His mouth lifted into its usual grin. "See, it wasn't that hard."

She shook her head. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" he asked, his mood finally lifting after the strange evening. "Now that we're on the same page, we can finally move on! Think of all the cases I can help you solve, the bad guys we can catch!"

Sirens were blaring down the street, the backup coming to pick up the assailant. Chloe was still shaking her head, not taking her eyes off of Lucifer. "Detective, what are you-" he moved towards her, wondering at her odd behavior. Before he could take more than a step, Detective Decker turned on her heel and ran. Lucifer sighed. "I guess she really does believe me now."

Maze suddenly appeared at his shoulder. "That went well. You get stabbed in front of a bunch of witnesses and then finally convince the cop you're the devil. Did you think she'd be happy?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes at his friend. "Just give her time. She'll realize I'm not so bad, therefore the devil must not be. You'll see."

Maze only made a non-committal grunt. Lucifer started down the street after the detective. "She can handle it. There's something about her."


	2. Chapter 2

In Chapter 1 I forgot the usual spiel - I don't own anything except my own words. Neil Gaiman and Vertigo own Lucifer.

Tonight's episode was awesome - I'm really liking this show, obviously! I had most of this chapter planned before it aired, but I rushed to get it out while it was still "hot." I hope you like it still. Thanks for the kind reviews and follows.

* * *

Saturday morning began beautifully. Against the norm, Lucifer woke in his bed with no companions. This would normally fill him with the need to immediately have a foursome to make up for it, but on this day he didn't mind at all. Detective Decker finally admitted the truth in front of her face – that he was indeed the devil. Oddly enough, her persistent lack of acceptance had made him feel like he was keeping something from her, even though he had always told her the truth about himself. Things could only go up from here.

He finally had a free moment around lunch. Who knew running a club took actual work? There was only so much he could make Maze do in his stead. Still, there was something thrilling about mundane tasks. It was so…human. If Lucifer weren't so devilishly handsome, the constant grin he wore would certainly look foolish. His musings had lasted all the way to the doorbell of Chloe's house. The house was particularly nice for someone with a cop's salary, but the desk agent at the precinct had assured him this was the correct address. Still smiling at his good fortune, Lucifer rang the bell.

The door was flung open, a haggard looking Chloe peering at him from the other side. Her eyes widened when she realized it was him. "What are you doing here?" There was none of the usual edge in her tone, just some new, unidentified emotion. Curious, but Lucifer would not be deterred. "Morning, Detective!" he practically sang. "We made such good progress last night. I think we're ready to talk about the whole partner thing again. What do you say?"

She stared. He waited what he felt was an appropriate amount of time for an answer, then filled the silence himself. "This place is amazing. Do you take bribes?" He peered over her shoulder into the spacious home. Finally she had something to say. "No, I don't take bribes!" Her glare was more welcome than he thought it would be. The same moment he grinned at her ire, she seemed to remember something and her expression shuttered. "You need to leave," she said, suddenly not making eye contact. "Leave?" he repeated, voice pitching higher in his incredulity. "I just got here."

Before the detective had a chance to retort or continue her strange silent act, a different voice piped up from behind her. "Lucifer!" Trixie cheered, pushing past her mom and onto the porch, little arms going around Lucifer's legs. "I'm glad you came, mom's making sandwiches and tea and cookies!"

Lucifer patted her head once, then removed her arms from around him. Even the small human's antics were amusing today. "That sounds delightful, tiny human." He glanced up at Chloe, only to see Chloe's horrified expression. If he had a heart, it would have dropped in that moment. "Detective, is something wrong?" he asked, once again trying to see over her shoulder. Maybe someone was in the house, threatening her and her child. The large home seemed empty.

"Trixie, go back inside," Chloe said, voice barely above a whisper. Trixie turned to her mom, a cute pout already in place. "But mooooom, I want Lucifer to have lunch with us! Your sandwiches are awesome, and he's funny!" she whined.

"I said go inside." Her voice was louder this time, and firm. "Yes mom," Trixie relented, the picture of crushed. "Bye, Lucifer."

Still in a decent mood, despite the detective's odd behavior, Lucifer actually returned the child's wave. "You know, your offspring isn't the worst I've met," he said, hoping she would warm up with the compliment.

"Stay away from her."

Lucifer blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me. And I'll say it again, please leave." Chloe's previous hesitancy seemed to have disappeared along with her child. And suddenly, Lucifer knew what new emotion he had seen in the detective's expression.

"Wait a minute," he said, the picture of disbelief. "You actually think I'd hurt her?"

Chloe said nothing for a long moment. He let out a surprised huff, very much against his will. "You really do."

It was clear that she didn't want to speak with him, but maybe the detective sensed the genuine hurt he felt. "I don't know what to think. You said it all along – you're the devil. Shouldn't I be afraid?"

Now he really was surprised. "Well, no, not really."

Chloe gave a mirthless laugh. "Right."

"Whatever you think of me, detective, do not for a second think I make a habit of harming children," Lucifer said, voice low and serious.  
"You admitted you hate them," she pointed out, on a roll now with her accusations and no longer appearing afraid to be arguing with Satan himself.

Lucifer was getting in the groove of the argument, too. "Bloody hell, disliking something and actively harming it are different things," he said, waving an arm around. "The people I punish deserve it."

Chloe titled her head. "So you say. Who gets to decide what people deserve? You?"

Lucifer couldn't help it, he smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes. It's part of the job description, love."

"What gives you the right!" she retorted.

"Mmm, that would be God, dear." This silenced her again, and what color had risen to her face disappeared. She began breathing heavily. "Oh my God, I'm arguing with the devil. The actual devil." She leaned against the door jamb, suddenly feeling weak. Lucifer took pity on her. "As scintillating as shouting with you is, it's really rather rude to not invite me in."

"Um, no," she said, even as he pushed past her into the cavernous main room. He let out a little whistle. "Not sure I believe you about the bribes, darling."

"It's my mother's," she said from behind him, still not sounding herself. "Mmmhmm," he hummed, snooping around the room. "I believe your spawn mentioned tea?"

Without further goading, Chloe moved to the kitchen and began pouring him a glass. She was really not acting like herself, and it was beginning to bother him. There's nothing intriguing about submissiveness.

The tea stopped pouring into the cup as time slowed to a stop. "Oh, really? Twice in a week?" Lucifer snarked, looking around for his annoying brother. Sure enough, Amenadiel was in the living room next to the drab but expensive looking couch. "Back so soon?" Lucifer asked.

"Who is that?"

Both immortals spun to look at Chloe, who was alternating between staring that the suspended tea and the men in her living room.

"You can see him?"

"You can see me?"

She looked confused and still a little scared. "Shouldn't I? You're in my house."

Lucifer grinned. "Not many humans can see an angel who doesn't want to be seen. This is fascinating."

Amenadiel glared at Lucifer, his de-facto expression. "You told her who you are?"

"It's not like I hide who I am from any of the mortals, dear brother," Lucifer replied, barely containing a tired sigh at his brother's persistence. "I do go by my real name, and maybe occasionally tell people I'm the devil."

Amenadiel moved closer, still – as always – visibly angry with his brother. "You are too reckless, and your lack of care is causing chaos in Hell."

"Still on that, are we?" Lucifer asked breezily, ignoring his brother in favor of watching the detective's reaction to all of this. Other than her wide eyes, she seemed to not be reacting at all. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not going back?" Smirking at Chloe as he verbally poked his brother, Lucifer noticed a minute change in her expression. Her mouth opened just the tiniest bit, and a barely audible gasp slipped out. Lucifer glanced down at his neck, and sure enough, Amenadiel's sharp wing-tip was against his throat. "You forget your place, _brother_ ," the constantly irate angel hissed. "You are not supposed to enjoy Hell. It is your punishment, and the longer you defy Father the worse it will be for you."

Chloe's eyes tracked from the wings up to Lucifer's face, which now held a pinched expression. "That's rich," he said. "What more can Dad do, hmm? Throw me back in the pit? I'll just get out again. It's not like it was hard."

Amenadiel let out a fierce growl, and with more strength than a human could comprehend, slammed Lucifer up against the kitchen bar, cracking the tile under him. "You'll see, Lucifer. The longer you put off your duties, the worse it will be." There was a flapping sound and he was gone.

Lucifer huffed. "He's such a drama queen, that one." He looked to the side, remembering that the mortal in the room had witnessed everything. The detective was gripping the back of a chair, knuckles white. "I…I believed you before, but that...that was terrifying," she said in between shaky breaths.

"Yes, well, my brother is a douche," Lucifer offered, smile creeping back on his face. She _really_ believed. Yes, she may be scared – which he _so_ didn't get – but at least she was talking.

Surprising herself as well as Lucifer, Chloe laughed at his joke. "Yeah, I got that."

Lucifer approached her, hoping she wouldn't back away or cower. And wasn't that a thought – usually he relished striking fear into mortals. That was his job, his purpose. Yet, he wanted this human woman to like him, or at least not to fear him. Chloe didn't move. He pulled out the chair next to the one she still had in a death grip and sat down. "Now, detective, about that partnership," he wheedled. His grin couldn't get any bigger when her first reaction was to shoot him a look and pull out her own chair.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the kind reviews! I'm glad you all are liking my story. I'm also super glad to see others popping up! Tonight's episode was even better than the first two. I'm really enjoying this show, so of course I'm terrified that luck will be against me. Quick comment: I'm having a really hard time imagining dick angels that _aren't_ from Supernatural. I really wanted to use Zachariah, the douche! Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

Chloe studied him for a moment. "You really want to help?" she asked.

Lucifer's grin widened. "Bringing justice for the innocent and punishing the wicked? It's what I do, love," he said, leaning back in his chair, ankle resting on his knee.

Feeling much more comfortable around him than she had when he first rang her doorbell, Chloe snorted in amusement. That same amusement sparkled in Lucifer's eyes as he realized she was no longer afraid. "Well, the justice part might be new," he admitted.

She smiled a little at his snark. Lucifer hoped she could see that he was exactly the same person as the day before. Sure, he was the devil, but that didn't exactly mean he was evil. It all depended on one's point of view.

"And you're the devil. The actual, Hell-dwelling devil," she said, looking for one last verbal confirmation.

"In the flesh," he confirmed. "I've moved recently, though. LA is really quite lovely. So many people doing so many naughty things."

Chloe truly laughed this time. "Sounds perfect for you."

"It is." He gave her his sexiest smirk, still testing for that normal human reaction to his charm.

She paid him no mind. "Why does your jerk brother want you to go back so badly?" she asked, ever the cop.

"Ugh," Lucifer groaned. "Can we not talk about that buzzkill?" He really hated the wanker. "I believe your not-so-disgusting spawn mentioned sandwiches."

"Satan or not, all men are alike," Chloe observed. "All you can think about is sex and food."

"The best two things Dad created, other than myself of course," Lucifer shot back, glad that the detective was finally back to her intriguing self. That comment earned him an actual laugh.

* * *

Lucifer strolled into Lux, feeling very content. Detective Decker had come to terms with what he was, she hadn't directly shot down his partner idea, and those little sandwiches were truly delightful. Perhaps it was because of his elevated spirits, but he swore he could hear an actual record scratch when he entered the main part of the club only to find another one of his angelic asshole brothers. "Seriously? I'm having a good day, despite having already seen Amenadiel twice, and then you have to flap in and ruin it!" He knew he was whining, but really? Two angels in one day? And it was really such a good day.

"Brother," the offending angel said, voice flat and unemotional. Lucifer suspected they did that on purpose. If his brothers let even a peep of emotion into their voices, he would know how much he bothered them and that would be just too much fun. Sighing dramatically, Lucifer altered his original path and headed for the bar, making sure to leave a wide gap between himself and his unwelcome guest. "Hello, Raphael," he said, trying to sound annoyingly cheerful but still only managing petulant. He poured the whiskey and immediately knocked it back. "Tell me, what have I done to earn the joy of seeing two of you in one day?"

The tall, auburn haired angel approached the bar. "Amenadiel couldn't convince you, so here I am."

Lucifer stared. Without looking away from Raphael, he poured another drink and quickly downed it as well. "Why do you think you'll be any more successful? Or that anyone will be?"

"Please, brother. I still believe you can see reason," Raphael implored. Lucifer gave a fake gasp. "You really believe that, too," he said, setting the glass on the counter with a bang. "I'm the one who's being reasonable, bro. Tell me, would _you_ want to go back to hell?"

"No, I wouldn't, but hell is where you belong. It's your punishment, not mine. Please, Lucifer," Raphael begged, reaching a hand out to his brother. "If Father meant for you to be there, then there must be a reason."

He didn't think this was something that really happened, but Lucifer's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged. "Reason?" he whispered. "Reason? The REASON is that dear old Dad created us to be his children, but left out the main ingredient, reserved only for humans! FREE WILL! Reason? The only reason I got tossed into the pit is because Father is ashamed that he SCREWED UP!" Lucifer's chest was heaving, his voice having reached decibels beyond human capability. Raphael, one of the great archangels, had actually backed away from him in fear. "I only want for everyone to do what they're supposed to," he said, eyes wide. "That way we can all be happy-"

"Get. Out," Lucifer hissed, eyes narrowed to slits. Seconds later the angel was gone. The third drink he had poured sometime during his rant was boiling in his hand. He slammed it down, then put both palms on the cool bar top and bent his neck. He was still breathing hard.

"That was sexy," a low voice said. Lucifer looked up to see Maze slinking down the stairs, dark eyes fixed on him. He took a deep breath. "That was bloody annoying, that was," he said. "You know what's worse? I think he actually believed what he said. Git."

"So how did your house call go?" Maze asked, coming around him to clean up the mess his bubbling whiskey made on the bar. He knew she only cared because she hoped Chloe hated him. His evil little Mazikeen.

"Really well, thanks," he grinned. She huffed. "You just got lucky. Any other mortal would never speak to you again."

His good mood was back in spades. "Ah, but she's not just any mortal. She's different, strange. After she saw my angelic brother beat my ass, we had triangle shaped sandwiches. Who'd've thought?" he said, really wanting to laugh at Maze's face but unwilling to have her give him the cold shoulder all night.  
"Sandwich triangles?" she spat. "Next you'll be wearing an apron that says 'kiss the cook.' That detective has gone and tamed the devil."

"Oh darling," he purred. "You know better than anyone how impossible that is."

Maze rolled her eyes to try and hide her grin. She could never stay mad at him. "I thought you were off until later," she said.

"As I apparently have nothing better to do than be abused by my brothers, I figured I might as well do it here," he answered. Lucifer took the fresh drink she handed him and made his way to the piano. Music was always something he admired the humans for. There was just something about the way it spoke to the soul.

* * *

Lucifer sat at the piano all night, barely mingling with his guests. Regulars could tell that this was one of those nights – some nights he just needed to play. At the moment he was playing one of his own pieces, something that had popped into his head after first meeting Detective Decker. His eyes were closed and his fingers moved across the keys gracefully as he immersed himself in the moment. Usually, his senses were as sharp as one would expect for an immortal being such as himself, but absorbed as he was, he didn't notice Chloe until she put a trembling hand on his shoulder. He avoided jumping, but just barely.

"Hello, detective," he smiled. "Couldn't get enough of me today?" He turned around in the seat to face her and felt his heart drop. Chloe's face was pale yet her eyes were bloodshot and ringed in purple. She had apparently been crying, and when the light flashed just right he could see that her eyes were still shiny with tears.

"Chloe, what's wrong?" he asked, already angry at whoever made her cry.

"Lucifer." Her voice was wobbly and more terrified than it had even been when she knew she was face to face with the devil. "Someone…Trixie is gone." Her breath hitched on her daughter's name. It was as if the floor had disappeared from beneath him and he was descending back into the inferno. Someone _dared_ to take his detective's child? He knew his eyes were blazing red with hellfire, his rage building up from somewhere deep inside. To his satisfaction, Chloe did not recoil or begin to cry. Instead, she seemed comforted by his rage. Her grip on his shoulder tightened and she looked him right in the eyes. "Will you help?"

"Oh yes, dear detective," he answered. "It will be my pleasure."


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, everyone! I really appreciate your continued support. Don't worry, I definitely plan to see this story to its end. I'm sorry to say that updates probably won't be as frequent as they were for the first few chapters, though. Enjoy!

* * *

The temperature in Lux rose several degrees, and from her spot at the bar Maze could feel the danger radiating off of her boss. She looked up from the drink she was pouring and saw that he was still at his piano, but now his human pet was with him. Maze had spent millennia by Lucifer's side and could read him like an open book, recent behavior notwithstanding. She could tell by the tense of his shoulders that he was angry. Very, very angry. She shoved the drink at the customer and made her way to Lucifer.

His eyes were burning red and his nostrils were flared. His hand clenched his drink so tight Maze was surprised it hadn't shattered. To her surprise, the human wasn't cowering in fear; instead, she looked satisfied about something. Maze wanted to believe that Lucifer's rage was directed at the detective, but she knew she wasn't that lucky. The two were staring at each other with some sort of grim understanding.

"Boss," Maze said, wanting to touch his shoulder but not daring at the moment. "VIP room is empty."

Lucifer exhaled through his nose, understanding Maze's intent. His anger was too close to simmering over and he could not be in the middle of his crowed club if it happened. He jerked his head in an approximation of a nod, standing swiftly and heading to the stairs. Chloe followed.

He entered the room, still fuming. People did _not_ mess with things that were his. _Mine?_ he thought. _Since when are the detective and her spawn mine?_

Chloe didn't give him time to search for an answer. She was in full detective mode, probably as a defense mechanism. "There was no note, but a partial was lifted from her door. I was in the back talking to Dan and I didn't hear anything. It was only five minutes and she was gone." Her voice was admirably calm. Lucifer knew, though, that she was only barely hanging on.

He let out a breath, forcing himself to calm down. "That's all?" he asked, following her lead and distancing himself from the personal aspect of the case. "How did they get in? No note, no call?"

The detective shook her head. "Nothing. I haven't received a call, and there were no broken windows or busted doors."

Lucifer nodded, staring somewhere over her shoulder as he thought. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that someone would kidnap the child of a police officer as revenge, but he couldn't help thinking there was more to this. Her association with him made her a target for….other things, loath as he was to admit it. After all, every angel in existence was currently pissed at him, not to mention other creatures who may hold a grudge. He began pacing, attempting to think of anyone who may be currently mad enough at him to kidnap his detective's child. "Detective, have any strange things happened to you or the small human lately?" he asked.

She looked unimpressed. "Like hanging out with the devil, you mean?" she retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. He couldn't help smirking a little. "Yes, the obvious aside. Any odd people or strange events?"

She frowned a little, taking his question seriously. "We did have a perp who was a little strange the other day," she said, trying to remember details.

"Strange how? This is LA, love," Lucifer pressed. Chloe rolled her eyes, the _no shit_ left unspoken. "It was a girl, maybe nineteen? She looked pretty goth, which isn't that unusual, but she had a tattoo around her eye," Chloe described. "It wasn't just that, though. She gave off this kind of…vibe. Kind of like you do."

Lucifer's insides froze. It didn't even occur to him to tease the detective about admitting he had a vibe. Chloe had just perfectly described the embodiment of Death. "Did she wear a necklace?" he asked, desperately hoping he was wrong. Whether the girl had anything to do with Trixie, his detective meeting Death was not good. Chloe searched her memory of the collar. "Yeah, she did. Why, is that important?"

Lucifer turned away from her, his hand going to his mouth. This was not good. It was bad enough that he had angels popping into his life with annoying frequency, he did not need an Endless mucking around. As much as he didn't want to tell Chloe who she likely arrested, he couldn't keep this a secret. She deserved to know, if only so she could be wary of meeting her again. He turned back to her. "It seems, love, that you have met Death."

Chloe stared. "Like, actual Death? Capital D?" Meeting the fallen angel Lucifer in LA was one thing, but come on.

Lucifer only nodded. "I'm afraid so. What she was doing here I haven't a clue, let alone getting arrested. Sloppy is not like her."

The detective let out a breath that was not quite a sigh. "Death is a girl, and you know her. Why am I not surprised?" Her sassy response elicited a small smirk out Lucifer despite the circumstances. "Honestly, she is not usually one to appear to mortals, let alone commit a crime," he explained. "What did you get her for, anyway?"

"That's part of the weird," Chloe said. "Someone called in saying there was a girl arguing on the street."

Lucifer looked incredulous. "And? That's all?"

"No," Chloe said, glaring. "She was arguing with nothing. There was no one there. When a bystander tried to approach her she hit him."

"Arguing with nothing, hmm?" Lucifer pondered. This whole thing was very strange. "It's likely there was someone or something there that humans couldn't see," he said. "I still don't know why anyone could see her. Usually that only happens when your soul is passing on."

Chloe seemed to be taking all of this in stride. "Do you think she had anything to do with Trixie?" Her voice cracked on her daughter's name. Lucifer shook his head, frowning thoughtfully. "I can't imagine why she would. Interfering with living mortals is not her cup of tea." The detective took him at his word. Still, she couldn't let a mystery go, even if it had nothing to do with her current horrible situation. "I am curious about who she was arguing with, though," she said.

"That is indeed a good question, detective," Lucifer agreed. "Back to business, though. I need to look at your house." Chloe only nodded, having expected that he would want to visit the crime scene. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Other supernatural freakiness aside, this was the first time she was really glad to have the devil on her side. Some deep part of her that she couldn't explain trusted Lucifer. When he said he would help she knew he meant it, and when his eyes had burned with the fires of hell she had almost felt sorry for whoever had done this to her child. Only almost, though. Whatever punishment Lucifer had in mind, this time she wasn't sure she would stop him.


End file.
